Remembering You
by Kiwi-San
Summary: I stood by her grave; the funeral was long gone. I could tell-I knew that her two best friends were still here. Despite downpour of rain and the mud, we stayed there....One-Shot


**((I had to delete this story because I realized I wasn't totally finished with it, but here is the complete finished story again. Nothing's changed really, but ****spelling is corrected and what not…..sorry…..))**

* * *

I stood by her grave; the funeral was long gone. I could tell-I knew that her two best friends were still here. Despite downpour of rain and the mud, we stayed there. I could barely make out what they were saying, but I knew they were about her and me. I ignored them, flooded by the memories of her and my times together. Tears flowed down my face as I remembered everything, but the rain covered-hid my tears.

I heard footsteps from behind me, but I ignored them. I already knew whom they belonged to. Harry and Ron. They knelt beside me and knew that I had been, and still was, crying. They didn't say anything and I was grateful. I knew if I opened my mouth, I would just cry harder. I knew she wouldn't want me to cry over her. She wouldn't like it, but I couldn't help it.

We sat down in the mud by her grave. We didn't care about anything, but her. We were wet anyway, what would a little mud do? I looked at them, sadness filled their eyes and it was entirely my fault. I couldn't protect her…I couldn't protect her. I broke down crying. Two pairs of arms wrapped around me. I didn't care who they were anymore. I didn't care about anything anymore.

One of them, I couldn't see, took out a picture. It was spelled to protect it from rain, mud, and tears. He held it under my face. I took it from him and stared at it. It was a picture of her and me at our 7th year Christmas Ball. We were standing next to each other, smiling up at me. I smiled, remembering that night. I remembered it aloud, unconsciously telling Harry and Ron.

"I remember sitting on the couch in our common room, waiting for her to walk on. I was wearing a black tux. I held a blood red rose in my hand. Anyways," Harry and Ron stared at me at first, surprised I was telling them this, but I didn't care, "I was staring at the fire when I heard the door open. I looked up at my angel. She wore this dress." I pointed to the picture. "The white cloth shimmered like it was glowing in the light. I had smiled and kissed her." When I saw the confused look I their eyes, I explained. "We were secretly dating. No one knew we were dating until that night.

"I remember we talked about our relationship. She hated lying to you two when you questioned her on why was never there anymore and what not. I asked her if she was ready. She gave me an odd look. I asked her if she was ready to show the world our love. She nodded and we smiled.

"I remember walking into the Great Hall. My arm was around her waist and her arm around mine. The whole hall turned our way and gasped. All around us, whispers broke out. You're Still the One by Shania Twain came on and we danced. When the song ended, I looked her in the eyes and she nodded and we kissed. Not caring what people were saying because we were in our own world."

"And this is where we come in," said Harry. "I remember seeing you two at the dance. We promised her that we would always be on her side no matter what during that summer. So, we had silently silenced the whole hall. I don't even think you two noticed." I shook my head. "Then you both shouted that you loved each other." Harry and Ron were smiling.

"That was you guys?" I said, shocked. I stared at them and shook my head. "Anyway, I remember shouting that, then my eyes went wide. I looked around and realized that the whole hall heard. Dumbledore muttered the counter-curse and started to clap. Soon, most of the whole hall was clapping." I smiled. "That night was the first time I truly smiled in public." I smiled at her grave. "She truly changed me that year. She made me open my eyes and see people for who they really were and not just what kind of blood they had."

I saw Harry take out a rectangle thing and muttered something with his wand. The tiny thing became a photo album. He opened it to the first page. It was of him, her, and Ron. They were smiling and waving. I looked at it more closely, taking the book from him. I smiled to myself as I saw a speck of silver behind a bush. I poke it with my wand, causing me in the picture to come partially into view. He glared at me for poking him on the head with my wand. His glare left me and his eyes softened at her.

"I didn't know you got in this picture too!" commented Ron. He took the picture from me to get a better look. "This was the end of out first year. What were you doing there?"

I looked at him. I hoped that this conversation wouldn't come up, but it did, and I couldn't get away. I took a deep breath. "I always liked her. From the first time I saw her. It hurt me a little to call her names and treat her the way I did, but I had no other choice. My father had great power. It eventually hurt so bad that I finally stopped."

I took the picture from Ron. Another memory came to mind and I shared it aloud. "I remember this day. I was secretly devastated that the end of the school year was here and that I wouldn't see her for three months. I wandered the grounds, looking for the three of you. I was slightly worried over her after you all came back from the third-floor corridor. I saw you three standing together, smiling, and taking a picture. I hid behind the bushes just to secretly admire her from afar." I put the picture back in the book. I saw them staring at me. I ignored them though, not caring what they thought.

My hand went into my pocket and pulled out pictures, muggle pictures, of her and me. Harry took it from me and looked at it. He looked up at me, then back at the photo a couple times. He seemed to be checking if it was the same person. I gave him a look that said, 'That's me, you can stop doing that now.'

"When did you guys take this?" asked Ron. He handed it back to me after he looked at it. He looked at me, awaiting an answer. What he really wanted, and I could tell, was another memory, so I decided to tell him. It seemed like we'd be here for awhile anyway.

"During Christmas holidays she took me to meet her parents. We went to the mall to go late Christmas shopping for some of her relatives. We passed this booth; it was yelled and had a sign saying Kodak. I stared at it every time we passed and wondered what it was for and what it did. After about the third time we passed it, I asked her what it did. She looked at me, an evil grin on her face. She took my hand and forced me into it. She was giggling as she put in some muggle money. I was completely confused out of my mind. She told me that it was a camera after the first shot. That's why I look bloody retarded right here." I pointed to the first snapshot. Harry and Ron laughed. "I didn't know it was going to flash so suddenly!" I looked the pictures from him and put them in my pocket, shaking my head.

"Oh," Harry flipped through his photo album until he was almost at the back. He pulled out a picture. He laughed and handed it to Ron. He laughed and handed it to me. I blinked at it for a moment before I realized what it was.

"Our first date," I said, smiling. "Hogsmead; it was January. This was in the Three Broomsticks. I don't really remember what we were talking about, but I remember it was really funny. That was one of my best days…actually, everyday I spent with her was my best days." I smiled; holding back tears that wanted so badly to flow out of my eyes and down my cheeks. I took a deep breath. "How did you guys take this? I don't remember seeing you there."

"We were there first with Ginny, Neville, and Luna when you two came in. We were sitting behind a tree, on accident, we weren't spying," Ron said. "You two choose a spot where you couldn't see us. Ginny took this picture. She was on about how fast her best friend was growing up." He rolled his eyes. "She took out her camera and took a picture. It turned out great."

"We wondered what the flash was for about a day or so, but we were wizards in a wizard community, so it could have been anything," I said, glaring at them slightly, but the glare went away. It was no time to be mad at anyone tonight.

"How long has it been since the wedding?" Ron asking, looking at me. I knew again what he wanted, a memory of his best friend. Even though he was there, I knew he wanted to know what happened in my eyes, not just what he saw.

"I might as well write a book about her and me," We laughed. It felt good to relive my best days ever. I watched Harry turn the page in the album. He pulled out a picture of the wedding day. "It will be four years in June. I don't know how she felt about an hour before the wedding. I suspect Ginny knows. I was a nervous breakdown though. I couldn't sit still. I paced the room about a million times. I was surprised I didn't create a hole. Anyway, I remember it was 11:30 at night on June 1st. We decided to do the Full Moon Ceremony. When the time came, I stood near the pastor. The music started and out came my angel," I used the nickname again. I always used to call her that when she walked into the room, "she was dressed in a huge, poofy white dress. Her face covered by a veil. We said out vows and waited a minute or so for midnight.

"I remember the pastor handing me a short dagger. He told us to slice our right palm and mutter this curse, _'By the witness of the moon, family, and friends, I slice myself with this dagger. I trust you with my life, love, blood, and soul I give to you willingly. I give it to you and only you for the rest of my life. This spell can only be broken by death.'_ After we both did that, we clasped out hands together and muttered the curse together. It was soft at first, then we got louder and louder. The pastor wrapped a beige-colored cloth around our hands, then a bright light surrounded us. It was as bright as the moonlight from above.

"After the light died, the pastor sprinkled a multicolored powder over our tied hands. It burned slightly. Our hands then felt like something was carving something in out palms. Her palm had the moon engraved in it and mine had the sun engraved in it." I pulled off my glove. The sun scar had faded slightly, but not all the way. It would soon though.

Finally, getting sick of the rain, I took out my wand and put a protective spell around the three of us. We all did a drying spell and a heating spell to dry off and heat up. "I remember we had a dance afterward. The first song was You're Still the One by Shania Twain. We smiled at each other, remembering the Christmas dance at Hogwarts. We relived that moment, kissing as the song died. Once again, everyone clapped. We both grinned, extremely happy. The rest is for me and me only." Harry and Ron's eyes looked as if they were going to pop out of their heads.

"You didn't, did you!" Ron asked, totally shocked and disgusted. They stared at me and I shook my head. I put a finger to my lips and smiled. That night was for only her and me and no one else.

"Tell us…about…last week," Harry muttered. "We want to know as much as you can remember." I instantly paled. New tears came to my eyes as flashed of memories came to mind. This was the last thing I wanted to talk about right now. It was a good thing to talk about it though, right? But this soon? "We have a right to know." I heard Harry mutter. I took a deep breath.

"We were walking home that night. It was a nice peaceful night. We were walking hand in hand, a very nice silence among us. Her head was on my shoulder. We rounded the corner, not even thinking we were going to be attacked, but we did," I took a deep breath, fighting a losing battle with my cracking voice and falling tears. "There were about ten escaped death-eaters. Survivors of the war, I suppose. Her and I both dueled the death-eaters and we weren't doing so well. I could hear one of them yell the killing curse. Everything around me nearly froze. It felt like slow motion. I watched in horror as she jumped in front of me. The green curse hit her squarely in the chest! It hit her in the chest!" I started to really cry. "It was my fault did died! I should have died! Not her! Me, anyone, but not her!" I cried harder, yelling at no one, just shouting so the whole world could hear. "It's because I wasn't quick enough to yell a spell before he could finish the curse! It's my fault! I killed her! I let her die right in front of me! I could have prevented it, but I didn't!"

"Get a hold of yourself!" Harry yelled, taking me by the shoulders. Tears were streaming don his face. I looked at Ron. He was crying too. "It wasn't your fault! There was nothing you could have done! I know what it feels like to have that curse thrown at you! Everything seems to slow down and you're in shock. It's like you body shuts down on you!"

"Th-Then why does it feel like it!" I cried even harder. "I lost the only thing worth living for!" I unconsciously flung myself at Harry and cried into his shirt, not caring where I was or who he was. I felt like a baby, but I couldn't help it. I couldn't save her, so I couldn't help it! I pushed myself away from Harry. I am 27 and flinging myself at Harry? I could cry, but I didn't have to fling myself at someone.

"She wouldn't have wanted this!" Ron yelled. I could tell he was getting angry with me, even though his eyes were filled with tears, he was angry with me. "She'd want you to live your life as happy as possible!"

"I will never be happy again! Not without her! I don't know what I'm going to do! I don't know if I'll be able to move on! I don't know how I'm going to live! I don't know what to do!" I yelled, scaring the black birds out of the nearest tree. I know she'd want me to live the rest of my life happy. I know that, I do, but I don't know how to live without you! "I should have died! I was supposed to die! Why didn't she just let me die!" I cried even harder than before. I didn't know one could cry this much, but they can.

"Stop! Stop and think about what you are saying!" Harry yelled, taking me by the shoulders again. "If you would have, what would she do? What do you think she would be going through? Do you think she could live with herself? No, she jumped in front of you to save you because she loved you. She did it because she loved you!" I refused to look him in the eye. He was right, but it felt so wrong. It felt wrong because I'm still here without her. Without her is not a life I want.

"We know how you feel. We lost our best friend-our sister. I know, this past week, I wished I could have died instead of her," Ron muttered. "When we came to the scene, we were horrified. All we could see was the death-eaters laughing, we immediately stunned them. We could see you, on you knees, holding her hand. We hoped she was just injured, but we found out we were wrong. She died to save the ones she loved. She was brave. She was being the true Gryffindor that she was." Silence. That was all there was around us. I knew she was close to them, but I didn't know how close. I had no idea they had lost their sister.

"Come on, let's go home. It's getting late and the cemetery is going to close in about five minutes," Harry muttered. I watched him wipe his tears. I flicked my wand, the protection spell disappearing. We got off the ground. I walked to her tombstone and got to my knees. I closed my eyes and bowed my head. "I'm so sorry I could protect you, my love, but I will try to keep living as happy as I can be without you." I touched her tombstone, fingers running over the words that read:

R.I.P

Hermione Jane Malfoy

09-19-79 to 04-28-05

Loving wife and best friend

You will be greatly missed.

"Come on Draco, their closing now," muttered Harry. He helped me to my feet and we walked away, slowly, from the love of my life.

**

* * *

A/N: This is my first one shot fic….can you tell? Wow….this one shot took me about four days. It's exactly 3044 words, not counting this note here. I can't believe it didn't take as long. It was 12 pages in my notebook….i think I know why it didn't take long. I worked on it during classes. I don't normally do that because….well, I just don't. but I was extremely hooked on this…wow, I'm really impressed with it…I considered turning it in for a harry potter one shot contest, but it ended two days ago….oh well. Tell me what you think about it.**


End file.
